Spring, 2000
Rick Wunderli

This seminar is designed to help you research and write a senior thesis of approximately 20 to 25 pages based on primary and secondary sources. Along the way, we will also delve into more abstract questions concerning the nature of "history." You will also be judged (i.e., graded) on your participation in class discussions concerning your own work and that of your classmates. In other words, in this seminar you will share your ideas concerning your research, your library sources, and your strategies for writing your papers. The seminar is the ideal setting to try out your ideas to see if they make any sense.

Your research must be on some aspect of European history before about 1700 A.D. See the Appendix to this syllabus (at the bottom of this page) for a list of easily accessible primary sources (most are in our library) along with possible paper topics. If you want to work on a topic that is not on the list, you must first clear it with me; you must then show that you have access to some original sources and that the topic is in European history before c. 1700.

Each student will have a fellow student referee and critique each writing assignment including the rough draft; each student in turn will be a referee for a fellow student’s work. I will, of course, read and critique all written work.

Your final grade will be based on your finished senior thesis (80%) and on prior assignments including being a student referee (20%). Hence, class attendance is mandatory, and I expect all assignments to be turned in on time. Do not expect a grade of "incomplete."

Please read and adhere to the Academic Honor Code, specifically the section on "plagiarism," as explained in the UCCS Bulletin and the History Department web page (http://web.uccs.edu/history).

Required texts.

You will be held accountable to the standards found in these books:

• Cantor and Schneider, How to Study History
• Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual

Below is a weekly schedule:

Jan 18 Introduction to the course; Visit to the Library

Jan 25 Discuss Cantor..., pp. 1 - 91.

Feb. 1 Assign student referees

Divide students into Group I and Group II

Each student will state irrevocably his/her topic.

NOTE: Students are to prepare a two page paper for me and for the student referees as answers to the following questions about the primary documents which they have chosen to work on:

1. What do we know about the author(s) of your document? When was it written? Why was it written? Where was it written? Who is the audience?
2. What is the "form" of the document, i.e, legal code, a poem, a chronicle, etc.?
3. What is one theme or idea that you found in your primary document?
4. What is a second theme or idea that you find in your document?
5. What is the historical situation or context to which your document refers?
6. What is your question about this document? In other words, what would you like to know about it? (For example: What does the document tell us about the society that produced it? What is the point of view or bias of the author? Does the author state similar ideas in other documents?)
7. What is the title of another primary document that is relevant to your topic?
8. What is the title of a general secondary work covering your topic (must be available)?
9. What is the title of a more specific secondary work covering your topic (must be available)?

Feb. 8 Group I students to state their answers to the above questions briefly; student referees to deliver their responses orally (2 minute maximum).

Feb. 15 Discuss Cantor and Schneider, pp. 92-129

Group II students do the same as above.

NOTE: Students are to have a one-page preliminary project statement to me and to the student referee by Friday, Feb 18, at noon. This statement should refer to the primary document above and focus on question #6 above. In other words, this is 1) your thesis topic, 2) the question you seek to answer, and 3) a statement of how you plan to answer it. Your senior thesis will ultimately be the answer to this question.

Feb. 22 Discuss Cantor and Schneider, pp. 148-180

Group I students present their preliminary project statements (3 minute maximum); student referees deliver their responses orally (2 minute maximum). The student referees and I will focus on the project’s coherence, feasibility, and possibilities for enlargement.

Feb. 29 Discuss Cantor and Schneider, pp. 181-241

Group II students do the same as above.

March 7 Discuss text, pp. 241-261

Personal consultations with professor as needed.

NOTE: Students are to have an annotated bibliography, divided into primary and secondary sources, to me and student referees by Friday, March 10, at noon .

March 14 Discuss Bibliographies

March 21 NO CLASS: PERSONAL CONSULTATION ONLY

March 28 Spring Break

April 4 Discussion of style: writing, citations, etc.
Refer to Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, esp. pp. 137-155.

April 11 FIRST ROUGH DRAFT IS DUE to me and student referee.

April 18 NO CLASS: INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION ONLY

April 25 Professor and student referee respond to rough drafts.

Discussion of writing style.

May 2 NO CLASS: INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION ONLY

May 9 NO CLASS: INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATION ONLY

May 16 FINAL PAPERS ARE DUE (TWO COPIES)

RESEARCH TOPICS AND SOURCES

Below is a list of primary sources, arranged by possible topics for research:

LATE ROMAN EMPIRE / EARLY MEDIEVAL

1. The writings of the church fathers, e.g., Augustine, Ambrose; Joan Peterson, The Dialogues of Gregory the Great in their Late Antique Cultural Background; M. Donalson, A Translation of Jerome’s Chronicon with Historical Commentary. Religious history and theology of Late Roman Empire.
2. Eusebius, The Ecclesiastical History and The Life of Constantine . The Age of Constantine ; the Arian controversy, the early church councils
3. Augustine, The City of God; Jordanes, History of the Goths; Bede, A history of the English Church and People; Gregory of Tours, A History of the Franks; Heather and Matthews, eds., The Goths in the Fourth Century. Concepts of history, conflicts between Rome and Barbarians.
4. Cassiodorus, Variae; Victor of Vita, A History of the Vandal Persecution; Peter Heath and John Matthews, eds., The Goths in the Fourth Century; K. Baxter, trans., Conquerors and Chroniclers of Early Medieval Spain. Roman and Barbarian Relations.
5. The Burgundian Code; The Lombard Laws; The Laws of the Salian Franks. Early Germanic law codes and legal concepts.
6. The Anglo-Saxon Chonicle; Asser, Life of King Alfred; Beowulf; D. Whitlock, ed., English Historical Documents, c. 500-1042. Anglo-Saxon history and politics.
7. Gildas, The Destruction of the British; Nennius, British History and The Welsh Annals; Geoffrey of Monmoth, The History of the Kings of Britain . The development of the King Arthur legend.
8. R. Murphy, trans., The Heliand: The Saxon Gospel; Bede, On the Tabernacle;E. Emerton, trans., The Letters of Saint Boniface. Early medieval religion and missionary work.
9. Einhard and Notker the Stammerer, Two lives of Charlemagne; B. Scholz, trans., Carolingian Chronicles; H. R. Loyn, The Reign of Charlemagne: Documents on Carolingian Government and Administration; Timothy Reuter, trans., The Annals of Fulda : Ninth Century Histories. Charlemagne as a ruler, and the age of Charlemagne.
10. Procopius, Secret History. Byzantine history; the age of Justinian.

THE AGE OF THE VIKINGS

1. Many sagas are in translation: e.g., Nyal’s Saga, King Harald’s Saga, The Vinland Sagas, Orkneyings Saga, Egil’s Saga, etc., and the Edda; Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials, and Myths. Social, economic, political, gender history of Scandinavian peoples.
2. F. Stenton, ed., Documents illustrative of the Social and Economic History of the Danelaw. The Viking occupation of England.

HIGH MIDDLE AGES, c. 1000 - c. 1300

1. The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumieges, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni. The Norman Conquest
2. D. Douglas and G. Grenaway, eds., English Historical Documents, 1042- 1189; H. Rothwell, English Historical Documents, 1189-1327.England .
3. R. Trexler, ed., The Christian at Prayer: An Illustrated Prayer Manual attributed to Peter the Chanter; Anselm of Canterbury, Complete Treatises; Abelard; Acquinas; Bernard of Clairvaux; Hildegard of Bingen; The Life of Christina of Markyate, a twelfth century recluse; and other medieval thinkers and religious writers. Medieval philosophy, theology, religion. Women’s spirituality (for Hildegard).
4. Peter Abelard, A dialogue of a Philospher with a Jew, and a Christian; Shlomo Simonsohn, The Apostolic See and the Jews: Documents 492 - 1404 (Intro in English, documents in Latin). Christian Jewish relations.
5. Contemporary Chronicles of the Middle Ages (12th century; includes William of Malmsbury); The Annals of Roger of Hovedon, 732-1154; Simeon of Durham, A History of the Kings of England; Roger of Wendover, Flowers of History; Florence of Worcester, A History of the Kings of England; William of Malmsbury, A History of the Norman Kings;The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon. Medieval English political history, histories of medieval kings.
6. S. Chrimes, ed., Select Documents of English Constitutional History. English constitutional history.
7. William Fitz Stephen, Norman London. Early London history, 11th and 12th centuries.
8. E. Gardiner, ed., Visions of Heaven & Hell before Dante; Dante, Divine Comedy. Religious, vision literature.
9. W. Melczer, The Pilgrim’s Guide to Santiago de Compostela. Travel literature, pilgrimages.
10. Simeon of Durham , A History of the Church of Durham ; Jocelin of Brakelond’ Chronicle; D.C. Douglas , ed., Feudal Documents from the Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds. English religious, institutional history.
11. Fulcher of Chartres, A History of the Expedition to Jerusalem, 1095-1127; Odo of Deuil, The Journey of Louis VII to the East (de profectione Ludovici VII in orientem); Joinville and Villehardouin, Chronicles of the Crusades (4th and 7th crusades); Robert of Clari, The Conquest of Constantinople (4th crusade); Walter the Chancellor’s "Antiochene Wars" wars against the Turks); Crusader Syria in the thirteenth Centur;. The Conquest of Jerusalem and the Third Crusade; The Chronicle of the Third Crusade; The Song of the Cathar Wars. The Crusades.
12. Otto of Freising, The Two Cities and The Deeds of Frederick Barbarossa. Medieval historiography; age of Emperor Frederick I; the year 1146.
13. Gregorius, The Marvels of Rome ; J. Wright, trans., The Life of Cola Di Rienzo; J. Baird, et al., trans., The Chronicle of Salimbene de Adam. Urban history, Rome in the 13th century, popes.
14. Andrew the Chaplain, The Art of Courtly Love; Marie de France, Chretien de Troyes, Gottfried from Strassburg, Wolfram von Eschenbach: writers of medieval romances; Aucassin and Nicolette; Tristan and the Round Table, trans., Anne Shaver; Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, The Romance of the Rose. Courtly love; social mores.
15. J. Benton, ed., Self and Society in Medieval France: The Memoirs of Guibert of Nogent. Religious history; monastic life in the 12th century.
16. Galbert of Bruges, The Murder of Charles the Good. 12th century urban revolt.
17. Hugh of Poitiers, The Vézelay Chronicle. 12th century French urban history and revolt.
18. Layamon’s "Brut": A History of the Britons, trans. D. G. Bzdyl. English historiography.
19. B.A. Lees, ed., Records of the Templars in England in the Twelfth Century. A glimpse into the institutional history of a military order.
20. Peter Abelard, Ethical Writings; Paul Spade, ed., Five Texts on the Mediaeval Problem of Universals. Medieval Philosophy.
21. Mission to Asia . Relations between Europe and China .

LATE MIDDLE AGES, c. 1300 - 1500

1. Letterbooks of London . Urban history, 15th century.
2. Catherine of Siena, Christine de Pisan, Joan of Arc; E. Petroff, Medieval Women’s Visionary Literature. Women’s history.
3. Petrarch, Boccaccio, Dante. Renaissance literature, social mores. Feudalism, political and religious history of
4. R. Horrox, ed., The Black Death. Plague.
5. Sir John Froissart, The Chronicles of England , France , and Spain . Hundred Years’ War, late medieval chivalry.
6. The Paston Letters. Late medieval, rural, English history.
7. The Book of Margery Kempe; Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love; Richard Rolle, The Fire of Love;St. Bonaventure, The Journey of the Mind to God; the works of Meister Ekhart; The Letters of Catherine of Siena, vols. I and II. Late medieval mysticism.
8. William of Ockham, A Letter to the Friars Minor and Other Writings, ed., J. Kilcullen; Ockham, Philosophic Writings, ed. by P. Boehner; Ockham, Predestination, God’s Foreknowledge, and Future Contingents, ed. by M. Adams and N Kretzmann. Nominalsm.
9. Machiavelli and Guicciardini, histories of Florence. Urban history, Renaissance politics.
10. The writings of Machiavelli. Political theory.
11. L. S. Davidson and J.O. Ward, The Sorcery Trial of Alice Kyteler (1324): documents. Religion, heresy, popular belief.
12. Adam of Usk, Chronicon; Gerald of Wales, The Journey through Wales and The Description of Wales; The Mabinogion (Early Welsh literature); Medieval Welsh Poems, An Anthology, trans., R. Loomis and D. Johnston. Welsh history.
13. Philippe de Commynes, Memoirs. Late medieval French political history.
14. L. Gabel, ed., Memoirs of a Renaissance Pope: The Commentaries of Pius II; Lorenzo Valla, The Treatise on the Conation of Constantine. Renaissance papacy, humanism.
15. Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. Late medieval spirituality.
16. Myers, ed., English Historical Documents, 1327-1485. English social, political, religious, and economic history.
17. Vittorino da Feltre and others Humanist Educators. Humanist education.

EARLY MODERN, C. 1500 - 1700

1. Writings of Luther, Calvin, Ignatius Loyola, St. John of the Cross, et al. Reformation and Counter-Reformation theology.
2. Sprenger and Kramer, The Hammer of Witches; G. Mora, Witches, Devils, and Doctors in the Renaissance. 16th century theories of witchcraft.
3. Writings of Montaigne, Descartes. Skepticism.
4. B. Diaz, The Conquest of New Spain; F. Gómara, Cortez, the Life of the Conqueror; F. McNutt, The Letters of Cortez; M Leon-Portilla, The Broken Spears: The Aztec account of the Conquest of Mexico. The Conquest of Mexico.
5. Columbus, Logs from his four voyages, and his Book of Prophecies; Luiz Vaz de Camoens, The Lusiads; Richard Hakluyt, Voyages and Discoveries; John Frye, ed., Seafaring in the Sixteenth Century: The Letter of Eugenio de Salazar, 1573; The Voyages and Adventures of Fernand Mendes Pinto; C. Ley, ed., Portugese Voyages; Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, Castaways. 16th century travel and exploration.
6. S. Adams, Household Accounts and Disbursement Books of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 1558-61, 1584-86; Thomas Phaer and "The Boke of Chyldren" (1544). Domestic life of the rich.
7. R. Tawney, ed., Tudor Economic Documents.16th century economic and social history.
8. Tudor Royal Proclamations. Political history.
9. Edward Hyde, Lord Clarendon, The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England. The English Civil War, and 17th century historiography.
10. Samuel Pepys, Diaries; John Evylyn, Diaries; John Aubrey, Brief Lives. Domestic life, social history.
11. George Cavendish, The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey; William Roper, The Life of Sir Thomas More. Lives of two important people at the time of the Reformation.
12. Hobbes, Locke: writings. 17th century political theory.
13. English Historical Documents, 1485-1558; same, 1558-1603; same, 1603-1660; same, 1660-1714. All aspects of English History.
14. Writings of Erasmus. Education, Humanism, church reform.
15. The Lisle Letters. Reign of Henry VIII.
16. Richard Cooper, ed., The Entry of Henri II into Lyon , September 1548. Renaissance Court Festivals and Rituals.
17. Juan Luis Vives, On Assistance to the Poor. Social History, the poor in 16th C.

MISCELLANEOUS EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH SOCIAL HISTORY

1. Aristotle (pseud.), Aristotle’ master-piece. A sex manual.
2. John Dunton, The night-walker, or, Evening rambles in search after lewd women; Select Trials at the Sessions-House in the Old Bailey; Boswell’s London Journal. Sex and crime.
3. Walter Harris, Three Treatises on child rearing.
4. John Marten, A treatise of all the degrees and symptoms of the venereal disease, in both sexes.
5. The Marriage Act of 1753: four tracts.
6. Jane Sharp, The midwives book.

MANUSCRIPTS

1. The Harleian Manuscripts (49 reels of microfilm of 88 volumes of manuscripts from the British Library). Primarily 16th century English religious and political history. Enough material for several Ph.D. dissertations. Difficult to read, but I will help anybody who wants to try. A good project is to make a critical edition of one document (say, a letter): transcribe it and provide historical commentary on the context and value of the document.

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